60 Songs That Explain the '90s Bruce Springsteen — “The Rising”
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Feb 18, 2026 Steven Hyden, music critic and Springsteen expert, provides concise context on Bruce Springsteen’s place after 9/11. They discuss Springsteen’s moral authority, The Rising’s rituals of grief and uplift, its production choices, and how songs like Lonesome Day and Into the Fire function as communal responses. Conversation weighs art versus gesture while tracing Springsteen’s late 90s rebound.
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Controversy Over "American Skin"
- Bruce debuted "American Skin (41 Shots)" in 2001 and faced controversy and calls for boycotts.
- Rob and Steven highlight that Bruce still played it in New York despite backlash, showing his willingness to confront heated topics.
The Passing Car That Asked For Help
- Bruce recounts driving after seeing the towers fall and being told by a passerby, "Bruce, we need you."
- That encounter crystallized his sense of duty and catalyzed the project that became The Rising.
Literal Language For Literal Sacrifice
- Springsteen treats the firefighters' ascent as literal reporting: "Up the stairs into the fire."
- Rob emphasizes the album's relentless attempt to comprehend incomprehensible sacrifice and to glue the nation's psyche back together.
